Slugs and snails

[shartnett5]

Hi duck lovers. I bought a great property in southern NH with 5 acres. About 1.5 clear with house and a farm pasture leading to a pond. The rest is wooded with common trails leading to the lake and other trails across a very busy highway road. Behind the house has trails to a small old quarry and pond on the other side of my property.

The farm pasture with the first pond touches my neighbors land and a trail. It is surrounded by tall trees. This summer I tried a small garden and rotortilled etc. I noticed all season a masssive amount of slugs and snails. Because I have 20 chickens I hoped they would scrape and dig up a section of that garden. They stayed away because it is cleared and kept to the woods. Smart due to hawks etc.

To the point: I was told to get ducks for the pesty issue. I worry they wont hang in the area eating the lil slimey things due to the same reasons the chicks don't. Do they really like slugs? Should I make them a small pond/water area away from the road? So they dont get hit by cars or will they instinctively stay away. Will they just leave my homestead or stay near like the chicks? We get a lot of hawks coons etc. I could tractor them? Fencing is an option but was hoping to do next year and do barn/green house this year. Also any general duck advise about differences as I only own chx.

 

[CarleeAnn]

My ducks love to forage through the garden and eat slugs and snails, but if one of those happens to be on a funny plant they will shake the leaves off!! I would take them maybe every other day to de-slime your garden supervised so you can keep them away from cars, don’t have to worry about them running off, and stop anyone from shaking up your garden. They definitely need a water source and a pond would be great but not necessary. If hawks a problem the ducks are vulnerable too and would need to be cooped up at night and it would be safe to put them in a fenced run, but plenty of people free range!

Your property sounds lovely, best of luck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Fencing is the only way to keep them safe maybe just temp fencing around the garden area with a secure house or tractor inside to keep those pesky preds away at night. They will need a covering to get to if hawks are around too. Mine love rooting so their will come a time the ducks won't be able to be in your garden because they will trample and root it up.

 

[shartnett5]

I have seen ducks destructing a garden first hand. I figure I wont be using the whole pasture right away. Anyone tractor ducks w chickens?

 

[LordDuckWings]

Let em eat it all up! My ducks love foraging for worms, snails, slugs, and sometimes frogs . Chickens rip through vegetables and pull out roots while ducks seem to do the better trick and be a bit more gentle. Watch out for the shells on snails, though.

 

[shartnett5]

It's mostly slugs and lil frogs and toads. The chicks go nuts for the frogs. Kinda gross to see them beat them to an edible juice.
Fun to watch them chase and look for them in weeds